An assessment of air quality indicators Sentinel-5P TROPOMI data were used to examine the NO2 SO2 O3 AEROSOL levels in Uttar Pradesh before, after, and during the COVID 19 phase

Abstract

Significantly affecting human activities and economic sectors were the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns. Nevertheless, despite these difficulties, the environment saw some improvement, especially in terms of the air quality. A dearth of thorough research comparing air quality indicators before, during, and after the epidemic has been noted despite the many studies that have emphasized the decrease in pollutants across India during the early phases of the pandemic. In-depth analyses of four important air quality indicators nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ultraviolet aerosol index (UVAI) and ozone (O2) are conducted in this work. We examined the patterns on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, specifically for the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, utilizing data from the TROPOMI (Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument) during a five-year period, focusing on the same three-month timeline each year. For several atmospheric variables (NO2,SO2,O2, Aerosol,), the given data from 2019 to 2023 includes monthly averages and standard deviations. The overall trend from 2019 to 2023 shows varying quantities of pollutants, with some, like NO2, rebounding after an initial decrease and others, like aerosols, exhibiting considerable annual changes, underscoring the dynamic character of environmental circumstances over time.